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Why does a bacterial population enter the stationary phase?

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Line graph showing world population growth from 1700 to 2000 with a steep rise after 1950, followed by three projection scenarios for 2000 to 2100: high, medium, and low, reaching between 7 and 14 billion. — population Graph of the world's estimated human population from 1700 until 2000, with population projections extending until 2100.

A bacterial population enters the stationary phase primarily due to changes in the environment that occur as the population grows during the log phase.12

Specifically, the transition occurs when:
* Nutrient Depletion: The available supply of essential nutrients in the growth medium becomes exhausted.132
* Waste Accumulation: The metabolic activity of the growing population leads to the buildup of toxic waste products in the environment.12

During this phase, the size of the bacterial population remains constant because the rate of new cell formation is balanced by the rate of cell death. While some cells continue to divide, others begin to die, resulting in a net stability in the total number of viable cells. This stage follows the log phase and precedes the death phase, where the rate of cell death eventually exceeds the rate of new cell formation.123